Turbine bucket-wheel.



PATENTED DEC. 25, 190s.

\ "J. WILKINSON. I v TURBINE BUCKET WHEEL. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NI- 4,1906..

a UNITED STATES PxT-ENT OFFICE.

JAMES WILKINSON, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR o WILKINSONTURBINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION or ALABAMA.

7' To. (pi/Z wig/m it'may concern.- I I I Be it known that I, JAMESWILKINSON, a cit zen .of'v the; United States, residing at Iight andlJQui abIe bucket-wheel in which- TURBINE BUCKET-WHEEL.

No. 339,243; a I

Providence,in the county of Providence and State of .Rhode Island, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Turbine Bucket- Wheels, of'whichthe following is a specification."

invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of turbinebucket-wheels, its object being to produce at a small'fcost a tubularbuckets are used and cast-jointed to the Wheelrrim inthe mannerdescribed and claimed in other pending applications. A wholev wheel or arim portion only may be cast to the buckets, or segments of the wheel orrim may be cast-jointed to segmental rows of buckets. I

My invention also contemplates the provision of a novel form of band forthe other ends of the buckets which serves to brace'and strengthen thetubular buckets against col-- lapse while leaving their outer'ends opento prevent the accumulation of water in uckets due to condensation. Myinvention further'comprises the details of construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter more particularly specified and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which',

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the wheel broken away toshow thebuckets partly in section and partly in side elevation andillustrate: the manner of gripping the outer band in place. Fig.- 2represents a partial sectional view through the rim of a' I bucket-wheelprovided with my improved form of bucket.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the band, showingthe perforations. thereinbefore the bucket-lips have been turned. Fig. 4 isa similar view of theband with the bucket-lips bent into engagement therewith.

Figs. 5 and 6 represent bottom and side views of the tool for turninggrip the band.

Similar reference-numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings. As illustrated in its preferred form my invention comprises awheel-web 1, having an integral rim 2, in which the inner ends of a ringof tubular buckets 3 'are embedded. The buckets are formed for lightnessand cheap'n'ess from thin steel tubing which is over the bucket-lips tothe Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

shaped to present the desired exterior'crossvided at its outer end witha pair of curved integral lips 4 and 5 and at its lnner end with anydesired number of perforations, as 6, to give a positive lock to thecast-joint.

The lip 4 of each bucket constitutes a narwhile the lip. 5, which iswiderv than 4, forms adapted to' pass through apertures -7 in a band 8,theapertures having'concave and spond with the curve of the ips 5 and 4.The side edges 9 of these apertures are convex through the band and bentover, as seen in Fig. 5,-the sides 9 serve to grip the li s andstrengthen the buckets against 00 lapse.

curvedcharacter ofthe lips and front and rear edges of the apertures. ITo turn the lips, Iu'se the tool 10, (illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7,)inserting its end 11 through the band and well into the open end of thebucket. It makes a close fit with..the bucket and band opening, as seenin Fig. 5. The shoulder 12 on the tool engages the lips and when struckspreads them over to grip the band, the end 11 holding the walls of thebucket from flexorcollapsing. This manner of handing ends, therebypreventing the accumulation of water in them while running. I

This construction provides an extremely light-weight bucket-wheel whichmay be chea ly constructed and which 'will provide am e strength formoderate-speed turbines.

\ 'hat I claim is 1. A turbine bucket-wheel comprising tubular bucketsconnected thereto, and a band which surrounds the ring of buckets and isconnected to their outer ends which are left open. i

of tubular buckets connected thereto, and-a band surrounding saidbuckets and connected to their outer ends, said band after beingconnected having openings therein opposite the 0 en ends of the buckets.I

3. Atur ine bucket-wheel having a ring of tubular buckets" connectedthereto, a

row extension of its concave orworkingface,

'an extension of the buckets convex face.-

These substantially similarly curved lips are] This latter effect isfurther increased by the sectional contour, each bucket being proconvexfront and rear ed es which correthroughout the greater part of theirlength, as seen in Fig. 4. When the lips are inserted the buckets leavesthem'open at their, outer ICO 2. A turbine bucket-wheel having a ringapertured band engaging the outer ends of to Wheel-blank, tubularbuckets connected to faces, a band having curved slots therein toprovided with a ring of tubular buckets, of a band surrounding saidbuckets and provided i curved lip at the outer end of each bucket formedby an extension of one of its curved said buckets, projections integralwith the concave and convex faces of each of said buckets which projectthrough said apertures in the band and are bent into engagementtherewith. I

5. A turbine bucket-wheel comprising a l the periphery thereof, and anouter band having concavo-convex openings therein adapted to receive andgrip curved lips integral with the outer ends'of said buckets. Y 1

1/6. The combination with a bucket-wheel with openings having curvedand'rear edges 1 and inwardly-projecting side edges, and

curved projections on said'buckets which engage'the curved edges ofsaidopenings and are bent to grip said band, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a turbine bucketwheel provided witha rin oftubular convided with equidistant apertures, each aperture having oneconvex and three concave edges, and projections on the buckets whichpass through said apertures and are gripped to said band, substantiallyas described.

' 8. Ar bucket-wheel comprising tubular buckets having curved lipsintegral with their front and rear faces, a band having apertures 7therein to receive said lips which are-adapted to be bent over intoengagement with said band.

- In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- HGSSGS.

. JAMES WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. NoLAN,

JOHN F. GRANDFIELD.

cavo-convex buckets, of a ucket-band pro-. "1"

